Neil merrill



(No Model.)

N. MERRILL. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 553,653. Patented Jan. 28, 1896.

WlTN ESSES AN DREW 5 GRAHAM PHOTOUWQWASHINGTON. L C

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NEIL MERRILL, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE ALUMI- NUM MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,653, dated January 28, 1896. Application filed May 4, 1895. Serial No. 548,150. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NEIL MERRILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled IO in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in musical instruments, and has particular relation to banjos; and it consists of certain I 5 novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be herein after described and claimed.

111 the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a top plan view of the banjo embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a central vertical longitudinal section through the same. Fig. 3 represents a top plan view of the banjo with the head and strainer-hoop removed, and

Fig. 4: represents a detail perspective view of the strainer-hoop turned upside down so as to fully disclose the vertical flange of the same.

A in the drawings represents the rim of the banjo; B, the neck; C, the head, and D the strainer-hoop.

The rim A is made of any suitable material, but preferably aluminum or its alloys, and is provided upon its inner upper side with an annular angular flange having a horizontal portion a and a vertical portion a, the latter extending upward so as to be on the same level with the rim proper. The horizontal portion a of the said angular flange is provided with suitable apertures (6 through which strainer- 0 hoop securing and tightening bolts (1 are passed, as will be hereinafter described.

The neck B is of the usual construction, with the exception that it does not pass through the rim, but is secured to the same by screws 1) which pass through apertures in said rim. As an additional means of attaching said neck and tightening it on the rim to a greater extent than can be secured by ordinary screws, I provide said neck with a screw-threaded stud b, which passes through an aperture in said rim and is engaged upon the inside by a nut b This nut is adapted to be tightened by a suitable wrench, whereby said neck is rigidly secured to said rim.

The head C can be either of metalor skin; but I prefer to form it of skin and provide it with a skin or flesh hoop c. This head is adapted to fit over the upper edge of the flange a with the flesh hoop down within the space between the said flange and the rim 6o proper. This flesh hoop is engaged by the lower edge of the vertical pendent annular flange cl formed upon the inner edge of the strainer-hoop D. Said strainer-hoop is provided with apertures d through which the bolts 61 pass, the latter being secured by nuts (I which bear against the under side of the flange a. I provide a suitable tailpiece E, which is attached to the strainer-hoop by a bolt 6 which passes through said hoop and the flange a, and is secured below the latter by a bolt c.

It will be noticed from the aforegoing that all the bolts are hid from view and the rim of the banjo presents a neat clean appearance.

To tighten the head the nuts (1 are turned by a key, as usual, and the strainer-hoop depressed thereby into the space between the flange a and the rim, thus depressing the flesh hoop at the same time.

By my peculiar construction of the rim of aluminum and in one piece I secure a much finer and fuller tone for the banjo, as the said rim acts as a bell and prolongs and beautifies the vibration imparted to it by the vibrating 8 5 skin. It will also be noticed that by removing the neck from the rim, which can readily be done by removing the securing-screws, the banjo can be packed into a very small space, as the neck is not, as is'usual, the length of 90 the whole instrument when assembled. This is a very important feature with traveling professional people especially.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters 9 Patent, is-

In a musical instrument, the combination of a rim having an inwardly and upwardly extending annular flange formed integral therewith and forming a deep annular recess or I00 channel having a perforated bottom, a head strainer hoop and the annular flange of the having a flesh hoop applied over the upper rim, substantially as described. 10 edge of said annular flange and extended In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my down into the recess, a strainer hoop having a signature in presence of two witnesses.

perforated horizontal annular portion which NEIL MERRILL. covers the recess or channel, and a pendent Vitnesses: vertical flange, the latter engaging the flesh E. G. FERGUSON,

hoop, and tightening bolts passed through the HERMAN STRAUB. 

